Guest column
Stop reaching across the aisle
Scott Schulte
Ever since 1972, the Democratic party has decided its plan for success was to align with big business and Wall Street. They told the working class that the party does not want its voters to have unions or be bothered with rising inequality. The party told the working class they were unconcerned about the increasing power of the rich in American politics. When it comes to reaching across the aisle, what it really means is working with the Republican party in support of big business. In that sense we only have one party in this country and its main purpose is to support the plutocracy.
The first few weeks of the year have started with a bang. In January, Congress voted to increase warrantless spying power on all Americans (section 702). Fifty-five Democrats in the House and 21 in the Senate reached across the aisle for the purpose of extending government spying powers to be able to search communications without a warrant. As Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna writes: “If we can't be unified around the principle of civil liberties, then what is the soul of our party?” This same bill – after passing the House and the Senate – led to a fantastic satire article from the Onion titled: "Pelosi: 'We Must Fight Even Harder Against Trump's Authoritarian Impulses Now That We've Voted To Enable Them.'"
Another prime example of bipartisanship this year occurred when Democrats reached across the aisle to support Trump's pick for Health and Human Services, Alex Azar. Mr. Azar, while he was at Eli Lilly the company, more than tripled the price of its best-selling insulin. The company is under investigation for price fixing and colluding with other manufacturers. Good enough for Democrats! They reached across the aisle and voted for him anyway. It should be concerning because if all Democrats would have voted no he would have not been voted in as health secretary.
Matt Stoller, a fellow at the Open Markets Institute, writes that a winning message for Democrats would look like this: “The head of Equifax leaked your data and got $90M severance. He's a crook and we need people in Congress to investigate him. The Oxycontin drug dealers are worth $13 billion and live in Connecticut. Let's get them.”
Yet, I continue to see from most candidates with awful messaging that they are OK with reaching across the aisle. Rick Neal, who is running for Congress (OH-15) states, said, "I plan to use my experience in public health to work across the aisle and find real solutions to end the opioid epidemic.”
How would that play out? Well, Democrats would reach an agreement like this: OK GOP, we will not allow marijuana legalization and you can keep Alex Azar and continue to raise drug prices as HHS. In exchange we get to expand Naloxone but you can't raise the price of that one. Great!
Noam Chomsky, considered one of the greatest intellects of our time, calls the Republican party, “The most dangerous organisation in human history.” He further asks: “Has there ever been an organisation in human history that is dedicated, with such commitment, to the destruction of organised human life on Earth?”
So, go ahead, Democrats, and continue with your failed messaging that we should continue working with the most dangerous organization in human history. Go ahead, Democrats, and work with a Republican EPA that is currently being sued by the state of Ohio over new water rules that won't keep your water clean. Feel free and work in a bipartisan fashion with a gang that holds children's insurance hostage for a border wall that those same children say they will tear down. Go ahead and work with a party that is OK shipping journalists and people who have lived here their entire lives back to countries where their lives are in danger. Go ahead and work with a party that would not seat a Supreme Court judge. Go ahead and work with a party that suppresses votes, rigs elections through gerrymandering via voter ID laws and dark money. Go ahead and work with with a party that engages in class war.
To fix this awful system we need a Congress that has guts and that will stand up to the oligarchy we live in. Stop working with Republicans!
The first few weeks of the year have started with a bang. In January, Congress voted to increase warrantless spying power on all Americans (section 702). Fifty-five Democrats in the House and 21 in the Senate reached across the aisle for the purpose of extending government spying powers to be able to search communications without a warrant. As Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna writes: “If we can't be unified around the principle of civil liberties, then what is the soul of our party?” This same bill – after passing the House and the Senate – led to a fantastic satire article from the Onion titled: "Pelosi: 'We Must Fight Even Harder Against Trump's Authoritarian Impulses Now That We've Voted To Enable Them.'"
Another prime example of bipartisanship this year occurred when Democrats reached across the aisle to support Trump's pick for Health and Human Services, Alex Azar. Mr. Azar, while he was at Eli Lilly the company, more than tripled the price of its best-selling insulin. The company is under investigation for price fixing and colluding with other manufacturers. Good enough for Democrats! They reached across the aisle and voted for him anyway. It should be concerning because if all Democrats would have voted no he would have not been voted in as health secretary.
Matt Stoller, a fellow at the Open Markets Institute, writes that a winning message for Democrats would look like this: “The head of Equifax leaked your data and got $90M severance. He's a crook and we need people in Congress to investigate him. The Oxycontin drug dealers are worth $13 billion and live in Connecticut. Let's get them.”
Yet, I continue to see from most candidates with awful messaging that they are OK with reaching across the aisle. Rick Neal, who is running for Congress (OH-15) states, said, "I plan to use my experience in public health to work across the aisle and find real solutions to end the opioid epidemic.”
How would that play out? Well, Democrats would reach an agreement like this: OK GOP, we will not allow marijuana legalization and you can keep Alex Azar and continue to raise drug prices as HHS. In exchange we get to expand Naloxone but you can't raise the price of that one. Great!
Noam Chomsky, considered one of the greatest intellects of our time, calls the Republican party, “The most dangerous organisation in human history.” He further asks: “Has there ever been an organisation in human history that is dedicated, with such commitment, to the destruction of organised human life on Earth?”
So, go ahead, Democrats, and continue with your failed messaging that we should continue working with the most dangerous organization in human history. Go ahead, Democrats, and work with a Republican EPA that is currently being sued by the state of Ohio over new water rules that won't keep your water clean. Feel free and work in a bipartisan fashion with a gang that holds children's insurance hostage for a border wall that those same children say they will tear down. Go ahead and work with a party that is OK shipping journalists and people who have lived here their entire lives back to countries where their lives are in danger. Go ahead and work with a party that would not seat a Supreme Court judge. Go ahead and work with a party that suppresses votes, rigs elections through gerrymandering via voter ID laws and dark money. Go ahead and work with with a party that engages in class war.
To fix this awful system we need a Congress that has guts and that will stand up to the oligarchy we live in. Stop working with Republicans!
